{"id":4520,"date":"2010-12-07T10:56:04","date_gmt":"2010-12-07T16:56:04","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/www.flovalleynews.com\/?p=4520"},"modified":"2010-12-07T10:56:04","modified_gmt":"2010-12-07T16:56:04","slug":"f-f-gym-teachers-zeal-for-marathons-also-helps-students-learn-u-s-geography","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/flovalleynews.com\/?p=4520","title":{"rendered":"F-F Gym Teacher’s Zeal For Marathons Also Helps Students Learn U.S. Geography"},"content":{"rendered":"

\"Wnek_with_students<\/p>\n

P.E. Teacher Barb Wnek\u00a0poses with the singlet she plans to wear after officially running marathons in all 50 states on Dec. 11 (in South Carolina). <\/strong><\/p>\n

(Special to the Independent News)<\/strong><\/p>\n

<\/strong><\/p>\n

Students in Barb Wnek\u2019s P.E. classes do much more than aerobic exercises that improve cardiovascular endurance. They also learn geography.<\/p>\n

It\u2019s not unusual to walk into Wnek\u2019s classes and hear a medley on the 50 states play while teams of breathless students sprint from one side of the gym to the other. They are fetching oversized puzzle pieces of the United States and delivering the treasured states to team members who feverishly work \u2013 to solve the puzzle first.<\/p>\n

\"Aaron_Conway_and_puzzle<\/p>\n

Aaron Conway,<\/strong> 9, puts the United States map together while other students in his fourth-grade Combs School P.E. class dash for puzzle pieces behind him.<\/strong><\/p>\n

Wnek intentionally adds geography to her P.E. lessons. She hopes that besides wetting her students\u2019 appetites for fitness \u2013 she will also improve their understanding of states outside Missouri.<\/p>\n

The objective, \u201cStudents will improve cardiovascular endurance while learning about the United States,\u201d is even posted on a board in the gymnasium.<\/p>\n

\u201cI like that we can run around and work together,\u201d said Emilie Talley, 9, while laying Georgia in its rightful place. \u201cI\u2019ve been to Atlanta and Ohio,\u201d the fourth-grader shared with her teammates.<\/p>\n

Brittney Usoroh, 10, has participated in \u201cRead, Right & Run\u201d and \u201cGirls on the Run,\u201d so she looks forward to the gym class with bonus geography practice.<\/p>\n

\u201cIt\u2019s just good exercise, and it makes you feel better,\u201d the fifth-grader said. \u201cI think it also empowers girls to have confidence.\u201d<\/p>\n

Wnek\u2019s fourth-grade classes meet from 9 to 10 a.m. and the fifth-grade classes meet from 10 to 11 a.m. on Dec. 3, 8 and 9 at Combs Elementary School, 300 St. Jean Drive.<\/p>\n

\u201cIn a sense, having students learn about geography is exercise, because they are exercising the most important muscle in the body \u2013 the brain \u2013 they just don\u2019t know it,\u201d Wnek said.<\/p>\n

\u201cI make a game out of it,\u201d she said, referring to a number of geography games she leads students in during class. \u201cI make it fun.\u201d<\/p>\n

And to Wnek running in different states is not only fun, it\u2019s her inspiration for the unique geography lessons she shares with students.<\/p>\n

On most weekends you can find Wnek, 61, racing across the country. Her goal is to run a marathon through all 50 states, and she\u2019s on track to complete her goal on Saturday, Dec. 11 in South Carolina. New Hampshire was state No. 49.<\/p>\n

Wnek\u2019s students follow along vicariously as she shares news with them about her travels \u2013 26.2 miles by foot \u2013 in each state. They especially enjoy admiring the colorful medals she triumphantly brings to class after she returns from a weekend marathon.<\/p>\n

She said the kids always ask her how she feels afterwards.<\/p>\n

Wnek pauses to think of friends who have health problems before answering with a familiar refrain, \u201cI feel great. I thank my angels I made another one.\u201d<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

P.E. Teacher Barb Wnek\u00a0poses with the singlet she plans to wear after officially running marathons in all 50 states on Dec. 11 (in South Carolina). (Special to the Independent News) Students in Barb Wnek\u2019s P.E. classes do much more than aerobic exercises that improve cardiovascular endurance. They also learn geography. It\u2019s not unusual to walk […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"nf_dc_page":"","om_disable_all_campaigns":false,"_monsterinsights_skip_tracking":false,"_monsterinsights_sitenote_active":false,"_monsterinsights_sitenote_note":"","_monsterinsights_sitenote_category":0,"ocean_post_layout":"","ocean_both_sidebars_style":"","ocean_both_sidebars_content_width":0,"ocean_both_sidebars_sidebars_width":0,"ocean_sidebar":"","ocean_second_sidebar":"","ocean_disable_margins":"enable","ocean_add_body_class":"","ocean_shortcode_before_top_bar":"","ocean_shortcode_after_top_bar":"","ocean_shortcode_before_header":"","ocean_shortcode_after_header":"","ocean_has_shortcode":"","ocean_shortcode_after_title":"","ocean_shortcode_before_footer_widgets":"","ocean_shortcode_after_footer_widgets":"","ocean_shortcode_before_footer_bottom":"","ocean_shortcode_after_footer_bottom":"","ocean_display_top_bar":"default","ocean_display_header":"default","ocean_header_style":"","ocean_center_header_left_menu":"","ocean_custom_header_template":"","ocean_custom_logo":0,"ocean_custom_retina_logo":0,"ocean_custom_logo_max_width":0,"ocean_custom_logo_tablet_max_width":0,"ocean_custom_logo_mobile_max_width":0,"ocean_custom_logo_max_height":0,"ocean_custom_logo_tablet_max_height":0,"ocean_custom_logo_mobile_max_height":0,"ocean_header_custom_menu":"","ocean_menu_typo_font_family":"","ocean_menu_typo_font_subset":"","ocean_menu_typo_font_size":0,"ocean_menu_typo_font_size_tablet":0,"ocean_menu_typo_font_size_mobile":0,"ocean_menu_typo_font_size_unit":"px","ocean_menu_typo_font_weight":"","ocean_menu_typo_font_weight_tablet":"","ocean_menu_typo_font_weight_mobile":"","ocean_menu_typo_transform":"","ocean_menu_typo_transform_tablet":"","ocean_menu_typo_transform_mobile":"","ocean_menu_typo_line_height":0,"ocean_menu_typo_line_height_tablet":0,"ocean_menu_typo_line_height_mobile":0,"ocean_menu_typo_line_height_unit":"","ocean_menu_typo_spacing":0,"ocean_menu_typo_spacing_tablet":0,"ocean_menu_typo_spacing_mobile":0,"ocean_menu_typo_spacing_unit":"","ocean_menu_link_color":"","ocean_menu_link_color_hover":"","ocean_menu_link_color_active":"","ocean_menu_link_background":"","ocean_menu_link_hover_background":"","ocean_menu_link_active_background":"","ocean_menu_social_links_bg":"","ocean_menu_social_hover_links_bg":"","ocean_menu_social_links_color":"","ocean_menu_social_hover_links_color":"","ocean_disable_title":"default","ocean_disable_heading":"default","ocean_post_title":"","ocean_post_subheading":"","ocean_post_title_style":"","ocean_post_title_background_color":"","ocean_post_title_background":0,"ocean_post_title_bg_image_position":"","ocean_post_title_bg_image_attachment":"","ocean_post_title_bg_image_repeat":"","ocean_post_title_bg_image_size":"","ocean_post_title_height":0,"ocean_post_title_bg_overlay":0.5,"ocean_post_title_bg_overlay_color":"","ocean_disable_breadcrumbs":"default","ocean_breadcrumbs_color":"","ocean_breadcrumbs_separator_color":"","ocean_breadcrumbs_links_color":"","ocean_breadcrumbs_links_hover_color":"","ocean_display_footer_widgets":"default","ocean_display_footer_bottom":"default","ocean_custom_footer_template":"","_jetpack_memberships_contains_paid_content":false,"ocean_post_oembed":"","ocean_post_self_hosted_media":"","ocean_post_video_embed":"","ocean_link_format":"","ocean_link_format_target":"self","ocean_quote_format":"","ocean_quote_format_link":"post","ocean_gallery_link_images":"on","ocean_gallery_id":[],"footnotes":""},"categories":[29],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-4520","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-school-news","entry"],"yoast_head":"\nF-F Gym Teacher's Zeal For Marathons Also Helps Students Learn U.S. Geography - flovalleynews.com<\/title>\n<meta name=\"robots\" content=\"index, follow, max-snippet:-1, max-image-preview:large, max-video-preview:-1\" \/>\n<link rel=\"canonical\" href=\"https:\/\/flovalleynews.com\/?p=4520\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:locale\" content=\"en_US\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:type\" content=\"article\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:title\" content=\"F-F Gym Teacher's Zeal For Marathons Also Helps Students Learn U.S. Geography - flovalleynews.com\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:description\" content=\"P.E. 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